Hello, February.

2010 is moving pretty fast. With January tucked under its belt and vibrant floral dresses already in the shop windows, soon it’ll be time for Spring. Spring which seems an impossibility to my numb toes. Spring, the short stop before Summer which finds Fall too soon. And then ’11. But for now… Winter. And in its homage:

Winter grilling. A fire against a dark, crisp winter eve is mesmerizing. Throw in the smokey whiff of a cedar board, both a flavor enhancer and a protector from the remnants of an omnivorous grill; throw in the quiet hum and clear starscape of a real live backyard in the suburbs; throw in the pop of mustard seeds. You now have a dinner from the earth, the sky and air. Yum.

I haven’t eaten from a grill, save for lil veg-designated hibachis. This was quite different. Best yet, besides some tofu prep advice, I needn’t lift a finger for this special meal. The Electrician did it all while I munched on blue corn tortilla chips & salsa and drank sodi-pop. Tofu and veggie shish kabobs atop cous cous:

I am the perpetual cupcaker. It is an enjoyable familial responsibility however. Plastic bakery cakes no longer grace the Z-dinner table with me on duty. I like to pitch in but I also like being able to eat my cake too. February is for my eldest hermano, who I let win Trivial Pursuit in honor of his special day, and some marble cupcakes from VCTOTW. Special thanks to CP for reciting the recipe over the phone. They were a hit. As I arrived my sister reached for one immediately, before even giving me a greeting.

Used to a different sort of wile life at my gate in Brooklyn, the Electrician’s home is truly Wild Kingdom. The bowl of vittles he leaves out his back porch is shared by wild raccoons and several feral cats that roam about, a friendly tabby who’s all class and a black weirdo with a bit of an eye twitch. Breakfast I whip up my other favorite: pancakes. These were supposed to be silver dollars but they were more like pomade-container-sized. Top right are some deli counter goods from Oceanside’s Wild by Nature, a big fat quinoa burger patty on a brown rice pilaf.